Magnetically supported crankcase heater



Feb. 15, 1955 N. CORDIS MAGNETICALLY SUPPORTED CRANKCASE HEATER Filed March 3, 1953 9 9 2 wk? 2 2 3 M v 2 b 3 M Q b T w HMO w d m E Y B ATTORNEY United States Patent MAGNETICALLY SUPPORTED CRANKCASE HEATER Nat Cordis, Silver Lake, Wis.

Application March 3, 1953, Serial No. 340,026

8 Claims. (Cl. 219-38) This invention relates to a heater designed and adapted for use in heating the crankcase of an automobile or tractor engine.

It is well known how the oil in the crankcase of an engine becomes stiffened to such viscosity in cold weather on standing outside or in unheated shelters that it makes starting diificult and affords little or no lubrication untll the engine has been run for several minutes and warmed sutficiently to warm the oil in the sump. Because of the initial congealed condition of the oil there is an excessive load imposed on the battery in starting and in fact the engine may fail to start at all. Pistons and cylinders are scored and bearings damaged with improper lubrication. Furthermore because of excessive choking on starting with a cold oil in the crankcase there is excessive crankcase oil dilution which causes additional trouble when warm weather returns.

It is therefore a principal object of my invention to provide a heater which may be applied to the crankcase 1n the vicinity of the oil sump. A further object is to provide a rugged and eflicient device which is easily and conveniently applied to the crankcase. Still another object of the invention is to provide a heater which will be foolproof and effective in avoiding the difiiculties heretofore experienced on cold engine starting.

Heaters have heretofore been proposed but they have been unsatisfactory for various reasons. Most were not readily portable and none were self-supporting on the exterior of the vehicle. Accordingly, it is another object of my invention to provide a unit which is readily portable and which is self-supporting in heat contact with the crankcase of an engine. A further object is to provide an electrical heater which may be powered by a battery or line current. These and other objects of my invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

Briefly my invention comprises a casing containing a heating unit, an extension handle for placing the device under a car, and a permanent magnet carried by the casing for holding the heating unit adjacent the crankcase wall. The heating unit may comprise any suitable electrical heater of which many types are available. The magnet is mounted on a swivel support which permits the poles of the magnet to firmly engage the crankcase wall while permitting the handle to rest on the floor without exerting a lever action to the magnet. The leads to the heater may pass within the hollow extension handle and if desired means is provided for folding the handle for convenient storage or shipment of the device.

Details of my device will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment of the invention described in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the general assembly;

Figure 2 is a detailed view, partly in section of the casing and one form of magnetic mount; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the heater in place demonstrating the swivel action of the magnet mount.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a casing illustrated as being disc-shaped. It includes an annular face plate 11, a back plate 12, a heater unit 13, and top screen 14. These elements are held in a sandwich by rivets 16 with a spacer ring between them. If desired, the back plate 12 may be omitted in which case a skirt depending from the front plate 11 will be provided in place of the spacer ring 15. The heater unit 13 may comprise a Nichrome resistance heater, a heater bulb, a conducting rubber strip, or the like. It may be powered by car battery current or by volt line current. Leads 26 and 27 from the heater 13 pass through a wall of the casing 10 and into the hollow handle 18. One end of the handle 18 is riveted to the top of the casing 10 or otherwise fixed to it so as to support it for reaching under the car. Means such as a clamp or magnet can be provided for supporting the hand-hold end of the handle on the car body, bumper, etc.

The magnet 19, preferably a cylindrical U-shaped Alnico magnet, is provided with a transverse channel 24 between the poles and an axial bore 20 which may be flared at the base. A pin 21 with a head 22 passes through the channel 24 and the stem extends through the bore 20 to engage the casing 10. This permits the casing 10 to tip as shown in Figure 3 when the handle 18 slopes downwardly to the floor. In this position the poles of the magnet 19 firmly engage the crankcase wall 23 to support the heater thereunder. Another form of magnet holder may comprise a magnetic block having an integral mounting plate depending from one side of the block and adapted for hingedly mounting on the top face of the casing. Such an arrangement also permits the swivel action.

A preferred form of the device is illustrated in some detail in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. The casing 10 comprises metal plate 12, metal spacer ring 15, and annular face plate 11 enclosing a heater unit 13 covered by screen 14. The heater unit 13 illustrated includes a Nichrome high resistance wire winding 13a about a mica core 13b. A sheet 12a of electrical and heat insulating material may be interposed between the back plate 12 and the heating unit 14. Leads 26 and 27 from the heating unit winding 13a pass through a port 28 in the side wall of the casing 10 and merges into a cord 29 which passes through the hollow handle 18 and terminates in plug 30. The handle 18 comprises metal tubing and may have a joint 31 to permit the handle 18 to be collapsed as shown. The hand-hold 32 is used to manipulate the casing 10 and magnet 19 face up into contact with the underside of a crankcase wall 23. The handle may then be lowered as shown in Figure 3 and a minimum strain placed upon the rznlagnze 19 by the swivel action of the mounting pin Although I have described my invention with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it should be understood that this is by way of illustration only and that modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the described invention.

What I claim is:

l. A portable crankcase heater comprising a discshaped casing, an electrical heating unit wholly within said casing, an elongated handle for said heater having one end fixed to said casing, and means for supporting said heater on a vehicle motor crankcase adjacent the oil sump thereof.

2. A support for a crankcase heater comprising a permanent magnet and a swivel support for said magnet, said magnet being the sole supporting means for said crankcase heater.

3. A portable crankcase heater comprising a disc-shaped casing including an annular face plate, an electrical heating unit supported below said face plate, an elongated handle for said heater fixed to said casing, a permanent magnet means fixed to said face plate and adapted to support said heating unit adjacent a crankcase, and a swivel support for said magnet means, said magnet means and the lower end of said elongated handle providing the support for said casing.

4. A portable heater unit comprising a disc-like casing having an annular face plate and a circular back plate, a heating unit between said plates, a positioning handle for said heater, and a permanent magnet fixed to the upper face of said casing for supporting said heater adjacent a paramagnetic wall surface.

5. A portable electrical heater comprising an electrical heating unit, a lightweight flat casing for said unit, a permanent magnet means for supporting said heater adjacent a surface to be heated, and an elongated handle means for positioning said heater on said surface, said handle means and said magnet means being attached to the. Saidcasing atnsubstantiallyl'the same pointadjacent a margin thereof.

6. A crankcase heater adapted to be" applied to the" through said channel into said bore to-engage said heater. 1

8. An apparatus for heating a crankcase ofa vehicle engine comprising an electrical heating unit, a casing for said unit, a permanent magnet carried by said casing and supporting it adjacent the bottom of a crankcase, a hollow handle having one end fixed to said casing, and electrical lteads1 for energizing said heater passing through said an e.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,782 Peterson Nov. 15, 1932 1,996,502 Brown Apr. 2, 1935 2,413,628 Hinds Dec- 31, 1946 

